By Matthew Cimitile, University Communications and Marketing
Who better to teach classes on local government and responding to natural hazards than the mayor of a small, coastal town in Florida?
Gulfport Mayor Sam Henderson is a visiting professor of practice on the St. Petersburg campus this academic year. He will teach several courses that touch on environmental issues, building community and public policy to students in the USF Judy Genshaft Honors College.
Henderson has spent more than a decade as mayor addressing residents’ needs and helping to enact local policy to shape the city. Working with city government, he has helped renovate sewer systems to improve water quality and incorporate resilient infrastructure to deal with coastal flooding issues.
During the COVID pandemic, he developed an innovative program using American Rescue Plan Act funds to provide residents with $50 vouchers to spend at participating businesses in Gulfport. The initiative received a Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council award for assisting residents while spurring local economic activity.
Henderson will use these real-world experiences to bring a distinct perspective into the classroom.
“Some days, the job is about communicating with my constituents and doing research for upcoming votes on ordinances and resolutions developed through city council,” Henderson said. “During hurricane season, you are pretty much on call all the time and really doing outreach and coordinating at both the local and regional level to ensure the best outcome for your city.”
“I hope to give students a full picture of how local government works, in both calm periods and crises, and how policy is developed,” Henderson added.
In addition to teaching duties, Henderson will use his experience as an elected official of a local coastal community to provide mentorship and leadership lessons to the Honors Student Council. He plans to develop fieldwork and internship opportunities for his students with the City of Gulfport.
“I’m so excited to have the mayor of Gulfport teaching our students and being able to blend his experience in the field with his academic expertise,” said Catherine Wilkins, the St. Petersburg campus dean of the Honors College. “I believe this exposure will allow our student to see how the material they are learning in the class applies to real life.”
Before becoming mayor, Henderson was on Gulfport’s City Council for four years. He was spurred to get into politics when in 2008 the city voted down a water quality monitoring plan for Clam Bayou. The next year, he ran for office and won. At the time, Henderson was still earning his bachelor’s degree.
“Sam models by example how our students can become civically engaged in their community and use their knowledge, perspective and voices to truly make a difference,” Wilkins said.
Prior to elected office, Henderson spent years in the environmental science and policy field. He has experience sampling soil, planning the disposal of contaminated waste and managing brownfield and Superfund sites.
Coming from a family of teachers, Henderson said he always had an interest in education and how people learn. He is excited to teach about issues he is passionate about, instilling excitement in students on environmental science and public policy, and doing so at his alma mater.
“I’m an alum twice over at USF St. Petersburg, with a bachelor’s in environmental science and a master’s from the Florida Studies program,” Henderson said. “This means a lot to me.”